A few days ago, newly minted Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif (up to 145 lbs) of Algeria filed a complaint against recent attacks on her, citing "cyberbullying and abuse." Among those being sued are high-profile figures including billionaire Elon Musk and renowned British author J.K. Rowling.
Khelif's attorney, Nabil Boudi, who resides in Paris, confirmed to the magazine Variety France that a lawsuit has been filed against the social network X (formerly Twitter). According to French law, this will allow an investigation into all the harsh statements made online against Khelif, including those posted by anonymous users.
Notable names are among the defendants. Besides Musk and Rowling, Donald Trump's tweets will also be scrutinized. "Although Trump's name does not appear in the lawsuit, his tweets will be examined as part of the process," according to Boudi.
Rowling, the author of the classic "Harry Potter" series, is being sued for posting a picture of Khelif during one of her fights, claiming that the Algerian boxer is "a man protected by a misogynistic sports organization that enjoys seeing a woman getting punched in the head and having her life's aspirations shattered." Musk, who owns X, shared a tweet stating that "there is no place for men in women's sports," and added the word "definitely" to his share.
Boudi added: "Alongside the mentioned names, we expect the authorities to investigate anyone they deem necessary. The lawsuit in France has the potential to collaborate with other countries on the matter. There is an agreement between France and the U.S. regarding hate speech online."
Khelif's Jjourney and controversy
The story of 25-year-old Imane Khelif has transcended sports. Her victory in the round of 16 at the Paris Olympics over Italy's Angela Carini, who withdrew after just 46 seconds, quickly sparked a smear campaign on social networks, questioning her gender identity.
The controversy surrounding Khelif stems from a gender test she allegedly failed last year. According to the International Boxing Association (IBA), the test conducted on Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting determined that they are biologically male due to high levels of the male hormone testosterone found in their blood. However, the association never presented the test results. An association spokesperson slightly altered the narrative this month, stating that the issue was "certain chromosomes found in the test," while Khalif has consistently claimed that the test was falsified.
The International Boxing Association has faced numerous allegations of corruption for years. Its head is a Russian who promotes a nationalistic and confrontational stance against the International Olympic Committee, due to Russia's suspension from the Olympics amid the war in Ukraine. Some argue that Khelif was targeted by the International Boxing Association because she dared to defeat a Russian opponent. Due to strained relations with the IBA, the International Olympic Committee took over the organization of the tournament in Paris and conducts tests differently, allowing Khelif and Lin to compete in Paris.
The exact details did not necessarily interest the online commenters, and the discussion about the Algerian boxer extended far beyond boxing, entering transphobic realms, even though Khelif is not transgender. The Algerian Olympic Committee further inflamed matters by alleging that the accusations against their boxers were a "Zionist conspiracy."